Vicksburg hotel owners arrested for price gouging
by Associated Press
Published: September 4,2012
Tags: arrest, hotel, hurricane, law enforcement, lodging, price gouging, severe weather, state agency, state government, state law, storm, tropical storm, tropical weather, Weather
VICKSBURG — The Mississippi attorney general says the owners of a Vicksburg hotel have been charged with price gouging during a state of emergency.
Attorney General Jim Hood says authorities arrested 56-year-old Devenora V. Patel and 26-year-old Hemel Ramesh Surati at their business, The Battlefield Inn in Vicksburg.
Hood says Patel and Surati are accused of charging more than their usual profit margin for hotel rooms during Isaac.
Patel and Surati were booked into the Warren County Jail and their bonds have been set at $1,500 each pending an initial court appearance.
Two Jackson gas station operators were arrested earlier this week on similar charges.
Mississippi’s price gouging law prevents a merchant from increasing the average profit margin on products until a state of emergency executive order is lifted.
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